Just under half of all U.S. adults travel by air for business or leisure each year, despite it being the most expensive mode of transportation available. And it’s not getting any cheaper. Proposed legislation, if passed, is going to allow the federal government to increase taxes on airline fares, meaning even higher prices for American travelers. The economy is finally back on its feet, but it’s certainly not running any marathons, so you want to conserve your money wherever you can. If you’re a frequent flyer paying too much for your trips, take a look at the following steps you can take to ease the burden on your wallet. Read more…

On Monday, the Denver Post published my consumer story about swamp coolers. Sometimes, stories come from personal experience. The cautionary story about swamp coolers — known in polite company as evaporative coolers — is one of those.

Working in the kitchen, I glanced up at the wall. Water was trickling down. Rivulets of water. I went to the other side of the wall. A giant blister was swelling under the paint. I looked up the wall, where the cooler vent was dripping. You know the cartoon scenes of paper money taking wing? That’s what came to mind when I switched off the cooler and went out to the roof to see what was wrong. Read more…

Top three perceived obstacles to good fathering, according to married mothers responding to the NFI survey: work responsibilities, father’s relationship with own father, lack of knowledge about how to be a good father.Read more…

I would tell people I was shopping for a house and they’d look at me like my dog had died.

One place we saw (and liked!) had this unusual feature: a Murphy bed concealed by a shower curtain. The commute wasn’t great, though.

“Ohhhh,” they would say, their heads tilted sympathetically.

And sure, it’s pretty gnarly right now. Houses go on the market and they’re sold by the end of the week. Or there’s something wrong with them.

First offer: Swinging for the fences

A few weeks ago, my wife and I made an offer on an adorable house in an acceptable neighborhood. We offered a little more than 4 percent over the asking price. By the end of the day, we knew we didn’t have it. We’re nearly sure that our offer was the highest, but we had a contingency; we’re selling a condo and need the proceeds for the down payment on our next home. It’s under contract and past inspection, but doesn’t close for another couple of weeks. We learned that the contingency killed the deal for us, and I suspect that our offer was used as a dummy to hike up a rival offer, too. Read more…

Thinking of buying a hamster? Here’s what to consider before you head to the pet store. (PetSmart)

Are the kids begging for a pet, but you’re not ready to invest the time needed to care for a new puppy? A hamster might be the way to go. As PetSmart veterinary expert Dr. Simon Starkey tells us, the little guys are relatively low maintenance and have few ongoing costs, but, seeing as they do live for an average of two years and the fact that parents need to be ultimately responsible for the pet’s care, you shouldn’t go into it lightly. Read more…

Ahhh, the traditions of spring—the first robin and the first sign for a garage sale! Garage sales combine two impulses that most of us share—the urge to de-clutter and the desire to “find” some cash. Here are ten tips that will help you achieve both:

Set aside a spot in your garage or basement to store things you come across throughout the year that you’d like to sell.

Limit the sale to one day—Saturday. Try to do it on a day when there are lots of sales going on around you—especially neighborhood-wide ones.

Consider tagging on to a church or nonprofit sale. You’ll need to set up at their location and donate a fee or percentage, but you’ll probably come out ahead given the extra traffic you’ll see.

Start early—the serious shoppers are making the rounds at 7 a.m. to get first dibs.

Don’t put out junk—cars will drive right on by and miss all your really good stuff.

Price your items to sell and post prices on everything.

If possible use tables and don’t put small things on the ground.

Make sure to highlight your exceptional and unique items by positioning them strategically. Look at your sale from the street and make sure they stand out.

Don’t negotiate against yourself. If an item is priced at $2 and someone asks the inevitable question, “What will you take for this?”…your answer should be “$2.” If they’d like to counter, then the negotiation starts.

After the sale, donate all or most of what’s left to a local nonprofit. Remember, part of your goal was to de-clutter, so don’t re-clutter!

Business is personal. And it impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives. From keeping a household budget to planning for retirement, to getting (and keeping) a job or just putting up with annoying guy in the next cubicle — we've got a lot on our minds, and Personal Interest wants to help you sort it all out. We're bringing together the Denver Post $mart Editor with variety of experts from the local business community. We've asked them to offer tips, advice and general observations aimed at making the business of everyday life a bit easier to manager. Note: The bloggers were selected for their expertise, but their opinions are solely their own. While many operate their own businesses or consulting firms, we are not endorsing or advocating their businesses.